Category: Web Link

If you are an author, you are at least somewhat interested in language (at least you better be). Now, if you are writing in a language other than English, I’m probably not going to be able to help, but if you are, check out this collection of maps.

Of interest to me as one of the poor folks that only speak (and write and read) one language were the maps that show how widely read English is in the world. Good audience for us that publish an English language book 🙂

I think body language can be tough to include in a written work, especially when you want it to seem natural and not distracting. It should be something that adds to the story, not pulls the reader out of the "zone".

Adjectives â€” descriptive words that modify nouns â€” often come under fire for their cluttering quality, but often it’s quality, not quantity, that is the issue. Plenty of tired adjectives are available to spoil a good sentence, but when you find just the right word for the job, enrichment ensues. Practice precision when you select words. Here’s a list of adjectives:

Back in 2012, now-former Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats tweeted a series of pearls of narrative wisdom she had picked up from working at the studio over the years. Pixar is responsible for some of the most compelling and engaging stories to hit theaters in the past several years, from Toy Story to Finding Nemo to Wall-E.

This week, Imgur user DrClaww reimagined Coats’ 22 rules for perfect storytelling accompanied with signature characters from Pixar’s portfolio of powerful animated features. If you’re a writer or filmmaker, print these out and stick them on your desk.

This list is entirely subjective, based on books that I’ve read over the years. But what they all have in common is that they’ve stayed with me. Many of these titles I’ve read over and over again. Some are touchstones, lodestones that I reference when I get blocked, bowing at the feet of masters that have taught me everything I’ve ever learned about what makes compelling fiction. I’m hoping that you’ve read most of these and will spend much of this column nodding your head in agreement. More importantly, I hope you find some new authors and novels that will enlighten you at some point down the road.

NOTE: The genres I’ve picked are â€œmajorâ€ to me, not to publishing in general. In leaving out romance, for example. I’m not saying it’s unimportant, just not for me. As you know, I tend to be drawn to dark writing, so that’s probably easy to see in these selections, including the YA and literary fiction.